SimAnimals Review

If you must simulate an animal, the DS game is the way to go.

While the Wii version of SimAnimals is a clunky, ugly mess, the Nintendo DS edition turns out to be a solid ecosystem simulation for kids. It has a very generic, "mobile game" look to it, but the touch screen controls work well and the low difficulty will have their forest up and running in no time.

Perched in the heavens, players have a bird's-eye view of the land and can interact with just about any plant or animal in sight. The woods are divided into sections and once you've made the residents in one area happy enough you'll unlock new districts. You can convince the locals to trust you by feeding them, rubbing their bellies, and introducing them to romantic possibilities. The game gives you a couple specific goals at a time (attract a rabbit, collect a few pinecones, etc.), but you're free to do as you please if you want a more "sandbox" experience. You'll know you're doing a good job when an animal emits "happy energy" (don't get it on your hands!).

Animal simulation, or stimulation?

Manipulating woodland creatures is a breeze with your stylus. Tapping an object will bring up an info screen displaying the needs of the plant or animal, and holding the stylus on it for a brief moment will pick it up so you can carry it around or place in your backpack. The D-pad will scroll your view around the current area. Kids won't have a problem navigating their forest.

SimAnimals is definitely aimed at younger gamers. You can ignore the given tasks in an area and proceed simply by feeding the locals until the happy meter is full and the next area is unlocked. Not only is it an easy breezy game, but it actually explains animal mating with the words, "when a mommy rabbit and a daddy rabbit love each other very much…"

A little more personality in the visuals and animal behavior would have made SimAnimals stand out a bit more. The graphics are bland and critters mill about, not really doing much of anything. But there are plenty of gameplay options here to keep younger players occupied. There's always a tree that needs watering, a bird that needs a home, or berries waiting to be picked, and it's easy to get caught up in this Sim.

The Verdict

SimAnimals is a solid simulation for kids. There are a lot of engaging gameplay possibilities here, the difficulty is low, and the controls are simple. The package lacks personality, but it's easy to get caught up in the day-do-day tasks of nourishing your forest. After the Wii game turned out so shoddy, it's nice to find a good version here on the DS.